One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

You will be able to determine when to plant calliopsis by reviewing the USDA zone info for Orinda.

Planting Calendar for Calliopsis

Frost tolerance for calliopsis:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since calliopsis require warm weather it's important to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant calliopsis in Orinda is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant calliopsis and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your calliopsis may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your calliopsis indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on February 15 in Orinda. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Orinda is an average and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Orinda you get a frost after February 15 so always be ready to cover your calliopsis in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Orinda

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 30°F.

Plants to Grow in Orinda

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Orinda.